Clothes washer and dryer



Nov. 30, 1965 J. D. I lvEsAY CLOTHES WASHER AND DRYER 4 Sheets-Sheet 1Filed Dec. 13, 1965 Y vf i m aw N E V. .ml 0/. WU r 0 1 L M n w D.

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CLOTHES WASHER AND DRYER Filed Dec. 15, 1965 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 s 7,/fo/Kyr i "van 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 J. D. LIVESAY CLOTHES WASHER AND DRYERFHF:

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CLOTHES WASHER AND DRYER Filed Dec. 15, 1963 Y 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 IN VENTOR.

J. D. zvesay Y w www United States Patent() Motors Corporation, Detroit,Mich., a corporation of Delaware Filed Dec. 13, 1963, Ser. No. 330,358 7Claims. (Cl. 68-19) This invention relates to a domestic appliance andmore particularly to an improved combination washer-.dryer wherein thedryer is of the recirculating air, moisture condensing type.

One of the objections to separate washers and dryers concerns the floorspace that such multiple appliances take up. An objection often heardagainst the condensing dryer is the requirement that the dryer, inaddition to the washer, must also be plumbed to a house drain. Thisinvention is directed to a combination appliance wherein a condensingdryer is stacked on top of a top opening clothes Washer, thereby to savedoor space and to permit the `dryer to drain its condensate through thedrain system of the washer.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide an invertedcondenser dryer which is stacked on top of a shiftable clothes washerand adapted for draining condensate through said washer.

Another object of this invention is the provision of a clothessprinkling system for a combination washer-dryer including an improvedwater supply .arrangement therefor.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparentfrom the following description, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings'wherein a preferred embodiment of the present invention isclearly shown.

In the drawings:

FIGURE l is a fragmentary front view of a unitary cabinet constructionconstructed in accordance with this invention and containing a `topopening washing machine structure located beneath a front opening dryingmachine f the moisture condensing type and with part-s broken away toshow a portion of a clothes sprinkling system;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary Iside sectional view of the drying machinetaken along line 2 2 in FIGURE l;

FIGURE 3 is a top sectional View of the drying machine, partly inelevation, taken along line 3 3 in FIG- URE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary sectional view, partly in elevation, takenalong line 4-4 in FIGURE 2; and

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary sectional view similar to FIGURE 2 showingcabinet structure means for servicing the condenser.

In accordance with this invention and with reference to FIGURES 1 and 2,a stack-on combination washerdryer is illustrated. The appliance iscomprised of a unitary cabinet member 12 defining .an article dryingmachine or condensing type clothes dryer 14 within the upper portionthereof and d ening a compartment 16 therebelow having an open uprightside 18 in the front of said cabinet member. The combinationwasher-dryer 10 i-s ladapted to be connected to a source of domesticwater supply and a drain 19.

A clothes washer or article washing machine 210 is disposed within thecompartment 16 lbeneath the dryer and is adapted, as by wheels such as22, to be shiftable from an openable position A (solid line, FIGURE 2)wherein clothes may be washed to a loading position B (phantom lineposition, FIGURE 2) wherein clothes may be placed therein for washing. i

The clothes washer 20 may be of the type disclosed in the patent toBrucken 3,087,321 issued April 30, 1963, and generally includes arotatable spin tube 24 positioned Within la surrounding water container26. The water container includes .a bottom wall or bulkhead 28 fromwhich a drain line 30 leads to a pump 32 for pumping the water from thewater container to the remote drain 19 by way of a exible cond-uit 34the conduit 34 being of sutlicient length that its outlet end can remainin fixed relationship to the drain -as the washing machine 20 shifts inand out of the compartment 16. The agitating and spinning mechanism 36may be of the type taught in the Brucken patent whereby an lagitator 38is vertically reciprocated when the mechanism 36 is-operating in onefashion `and whereby the tub 24 is rotated when the mechanism 36 isoperating in another fashion. When the tube 24 is rotated, Water iscentrifuged through ports 40 into the water container 26 from whence itmay be pumped to drain through conduits 30 and 34.

A control panel 50 above the opening 18 in the cabinet 12 includescontrols 52 for oper-ating the clothes washer in a desired washing cycleand controls 53 for operating the clothes dryer 14.

The clothes or article drying machine 14 is comprised of a supportbulkhead S4 in the rear thereof for supporting a spherical lbearing andshaft 56 in the central portion thereof. A tumbling drum 58 is mountedon the spherical bearing shaft and includes a perforated rear Wall 60and a front opening 62. Supported on the front of the dryer cabinet is afront port plate 64 having a collar 66 extending into the opening of thetumbling drum for 4sealingly supporting the front of the tumbling drumat 68 on nylon blocks 70 in the manner taught in the patent to Whyte2,843,945, issued July 22, 1958. The port plate 64 is recessed from thefront of the dryer cabinet to receive an access door 72 which ishingedly mounted on one side thereof to the dryer cabinet and carries alint collecting housing 74 on the rear side thereof-the lint collectinghousing having a perforated rear panel 76 sealed about` its periphery at78 to the port plate 64 for forcing air leaving the tumbling drumthrough the lint collecting housing. A lint collecting screen 80 isslidvably positionable within the lint collecting housing for downwardremoval and interposed ybetween the perforated plate 76 and a cut-outportion of the housing to form an outlet 82 on the downstream side ofthe lint collecting screen. Air flow through the housing leads throughopenings 84 in the port plate to a front duct 86.

A heating plenum 88 at the rear of the tumbling drum 58 includes .aheater 90 and 4reflecting plate 92 and is enclosed at its periphery by acircumambient seal 94. Leading to the heating plenum 88 is a rear duct96 for returning air to the tumbling drum.

The drying airsystem (FIGURES 2, 3 and 4) for the condensing dryer iscomprised of a drying air blower 98 having an inlet 100 adapted toreceive dehumidiiied air from the front duct 86.-a -condenser 102 beinginterposed between the front of the tumbling drum and the blower forremoving moisture from the recirculating drying air. The blower 98 hasits outlet 184 connected to a supply conduit 106 which connects to therear duct 96. The blower 98 is carried on brackets 99 affixed to the topwall 1,10 of the dryer cabinet and includes a condensate drain outlet112 in a lowermost part of the blower housing connectable by means of aflexible conduit 114 to the rear of the Water container 26 as at 116. Ingeneral, water condensed from the recirculating drying air by condenser102 flows by gravity to the condensate outlet 112 and from there emptiesinto the water container of the washer from whence it may -be pumped todrain. In this fashion, the condensing dryer may use the plumbingconnections of the washer therebelow.

The condenser 102 is also suspended from brackets 120 from the appliancetop Wall and includes a condensing tube assembly 122 adapted to benested between an inlet header 124 and an outlet header 126 (FIGURE 4).Suitable latch means 130 cooperate to positively position the condensingtube assembly 122 in locked, air sealing relationship with the headers124, 126. Note that the recirculating or drying air passes through theinside 132 of condensing tubes 134 which are spaced apart to provide apassage 135 for cooling air passing thereover to aid in the condensingof moisture from the recirculating drying air, said tubes being slopedto drain the condensate toward the outlet header 126 and from there intothe housing of blower 98.

The cooling air system is best seen in FIGURE 3 and is comprised of acooling air blower 140 having its inlet 142 connected to a cooling airduct or shroud 144 which connects to one side of the condensing tubeassembly 122-the other side thereof being open to atmosphere by way ofthe voids or unused space in the dryer and openings in the dryercabinet, such as 148 at the rear thereof and louvers 150 in the top Wall110. Thus, cooling air blower 140 is adapted to draw a steady stream ofcooling air through the condenser spaces 135 over the outside of thecondensing tubes 134 and to exhaust this cooling air through an exhaustconduit 152 at the rear of the structure.

Both the drying air system and the cooling air system are disposed abovethe opening to the tumbling drum so that loading the clothes into thedryer is made easier.

A motor 160, carried by the top wall of the appliance, is adapted todrive the impellers in the blowers 98 and 140 as well as to rotate thetumbling drum by means of a belt and pulley arrangement 162 at the rearof the turnbling drum.

The condenser 102 may be generally of the type taught in the patent toWhyte et al. 3,032,887, issued May 8, 1962. An access panel or door 156is pivotally mounted to the dryer cabinet and adapted for movement tothe position in FIGURE for removing the condensing tube assembly 122 forperiodic cleaning thereof. This servicing is accomplished by unlatchingthe lock 130 and slidably removing the condensing tube assembly frombetween the headers 124 and 126. Note that the inverted nature of thedrying air system and cooling air systems above the tumbling drumpermits ready access to the condenser for servicing thereof plus a readymeans for removing the condensate from the dryer using the drainfacilities of the Washer therebelow. The door 156, when closed, may alsoconceal a lamp 157 while providing a glass panel 159 for illuminatingthe loading area of the dryer.

Itis often desirable to provide a sprinkling system for the tumblingdrum 58. Thus, a nozzle 170 projects through the drum shaft in themanner taught in the patent to Longenecker 2,958,954, issued November 8,1960. In accordance with this invention, means are provided to supplythe desired amount of Water tothe sprinkling nozzle simply by pushing abutton or actuator 172 on the front of the dryer behind the dryer door72. An indicating means 174 will register the amount of Water to bedispensed to the tumbling drum. To accomplish this operation, an opentop reservoir 176 is positioned at one side of the dryer and is adaptedto receive Water through a water supply conduit 178-the depressing ofbutton 172 energizing a solenoid 180 in the Water supply line foropening the water supply valve. A oat 182 in the reservoir 176 isconnected by a link 184 to the indicating means 174 for informing theoperator when the desired amount of water is present in the reservoir.Water Vsupplied to the reservoir will flow by gravity through a flexibleconduit 186 to the nozzle 170, spraying therefrom onto the clothes inthe tumbling drum. To prevent clogging of the nozzle, a filter 188 ispositioned within the reservoir between the supply conduit 178 and thegravity drain conduit 186.

It should now be seen that an improved combination washer-dryer has beenprovided-an appliance wherein an inverted condenser dryer is positionedabove a shiftable top loading clothes washer for conserving floor space,for making dryer loading and clothes sprinkling easier and for utilizingthe drain system of the washer to remove condensate from the dryer.

While the embodiment of the present invention as herein disclosedconstitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other formsmight be adopted.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. In combination,

(a) a unitary cabinet member including walls dening an article dryingmachine Within the upper portion thereof and a compartment therebelowhaving an open upright side,

(b) said cabinet member adapted to be associated with a source of watersupply and a drain,

(c) an article Washing machine member disposed in said compartmentbeneath said drying machine and movably attached to said unitary cabinetmember for movement between an operating position in said compartmentand a loading position outside the compartment,

(d) said washing machine member comprising a boxlike structure closingthe open upright side of said compartment and having therein a rotatableopen top water receiving article washing receptacle and prime movermeans operable when said washing machine member is in said operatingposition for rotating said article washing receptacle,

(e) said washing machine member having a water container surroundingsaid article washing receptacle for receiving water centrifuged fromsaid article washing receptacle when said receptacle is rotated,

(f) said Iwater container having a pump operated by said prime movermeans and in water receiving relationship to said water container forpumping said water to said drain,

(g) said washing machine member being shiftable part way out of saidcompartment and back thereinto while said water container is connectedto said drain,

(h) said article drying machine comprising a box-like structureenclosing a rotatable tumbling drum having an access opening n the frontthereof for loading articles thereinto from said article Washing machinemember and an air inlet opening in the rear thereof,

(i) means for recirculating heated air through said tumbling drumincluding a drying air blower having an inlet and an outlet, meansconnecting said inlet to the access opening of said tumbling drum, meansconnecting said outlet to the air inlet opening of said tumbling drum,condenser means having one portion in one of said connecting means forcondensing moisture from the drying air circulated in heat exchangerelationship therewith, and heating means in one of said connectingmeans for heating said recirculating air,

(j) and means for circulating cooling air in heat eX- changerelationship to said condenser means including a cooling air blowerhaving an inlet and an outlet, -means including the walls of saidcabinet member connecting the inlet of said cooling air blower in heatexchange relationship to another portion of said condenser means forcooling said condenser means, and means connecting the outlet of saidcooling air blower to the atmosphere for removing the heat ofcondensation,

(k) said drying air blower having a sump portion in gravity owrelationship to said condenser means for receiving the moisturecondensed from said recirculating air, and means connecting said sumpportion to said water container when said washing machine member is ineither said loading position or said operating position for conveyingmoisture condensed n said condenser means to said water container fordisposal from said washing machine member by said pump when said pump isoperating to pump said Water to drain,

(l) said cabinet member having a pivotable front panel above said accessopening adjacent said condenser means and pivotally movable outwardlyand upwardly for exposing said condenser means for servicing thereof.

2. The combination of claim 1 including means for sprinkling in saidtumbling drum, said means for sprinkling including a reservoir forcontaining a quantity of water, means for indicating the quantity ofWater in said reservoir, means operable for supplying water to saidreservoir and actuator means for operating the water supplying means,said means for indicating having a oat in said reservoir, an indicatoron said cabinet member and link means connecting said oat and saidindicator.

3. The combination of claim 2 including a door hingedly connected tosaid cabinet member and movable to a closed position for closing saidaccess opening in said tumbling drum, said door in said closed positionconcealing the indicator and the actuator means of said means forsprinkling.

4. The combination of claim 1 wherein said means for recirculatingheated air and said means for circulating cooling air is above saidtumbling drum, whereby to place the access opening of said tumbling drumin closely adjacent relationship to said washing machine member.

5. In combination,

(a) a unitary cabinet member including walls defining an article dryingmachine within the upper portion thereof and a compartment therebelowhaving an open upright side,

(b) said cabinet member adapted to be associated with a source of watersupply and a drain,

(c) an article washing machine member disposed in said compartmentbeneath said drying machine and movably attached relative to saidunitary cabinet member for shiftable movement between an operatingposition in said compartment and a loading position outside thecompartment,

(d) said washing machine member comprising a structure at leastpartially closing the open upright side of said compartment and havingtherein a rotatable open top water receiving article washing receptacleand prime mover means operable when said washing machine member is insaid operating position for rotating said article washing receptacle,

(e) `said washing machine member having a Water container in waterreceiving relationship to said article washing receptacle for receivingwater centrifuged from said article washing receptacle when saidreceptacle is rotated,

(f) a pump operated by said prime mover means in water receivingrelationship to said water container and in water draining relationshipto said drain for pumping said Water to said drain,

(g) said washing machine member being shiftable part way out of saidcompartment and back thereinto while said pump is in water drainingrelationship to said drain,

(h) said article drying machine comprising a structure enclosing arotatable tumbling drum having an access opening in one portion thereoffor loading articles thereinto from said article washing machine memberand an air inlet opening in another portion thereof,

(i) means for recirculating heated air through said tumbling drumincluding a drying air blower, means connecting said drying air blowerto the access opening and the air inlet opening of said tumbling drum ina manner to facilitate a ow of drying air therethrough, condenser meanshaving one portion in series drying air ow relationship with saidturnbling drum and said drying air blower for condensing moisture fromthe drying air circulated in heat exchange relationship therewith, andheating means in series drying air flow relationship with said tumblingdrum and said drying air blower for heating said recirculating air,

(j) means for circulating cooling air in heat exchange relationship tosaid condenser means including a cooling air blower, means connectingone side of said cooling air blower in heat exchange relationship toanother portion of said condenser means yfor cooling said condensermeans, and means connecting the other side of said cooling air blower tothe atmosphere for removing the heat of condensation,

(k) and means forming a sump portion in gravity ow relationship to saidcondenser means for receiving the moisture condensed from saidrecirculating air, and means connecting said sump portion to said watercontainer when said washing machine member is in said operating positionfor conveying moisture condensed in said condenser means to said watercontainer Afor disposal from said washing machine member by said pumpwhen said pump is operating to pump said Water to drain.

6. In combination,

(a) a unitary cabinet member including Walls deiining an article dryingmachine within the upper portion thereof and a compartment therebelowhaving an open upright side,

(b) said cabinet member adapted to be associated with a source of Watersupply and a drain,

(c) an article Washing machine member disposed in said compartmentbeneath said drying machine and movably attached relative to saidunitary cabinet member for shiftable movement between an operatingposition in said compartment and a loading position outside thecompartment,

(d) said washing machine member comprising a structure at leastpartially closing the open upright side of said compartment and havingtherein a rotatable open top water receiving article washing receptacleand prime mover means operable when said washing machine member is insaid operating position for rotating said article washing receptacle,

(e) said washing machine member having a water container in waterreceiving relationship to said article washing receptacle for receivingwater centrifuged from said article washing receptacle when saidreceptacle is rotated,

(f) a pump operable with said prime mover means in water receivingrelationship to said water container and in water draining relationshipto said drain for pumping said water to said drain,

(g) said washing machine member being shiftable part way out of saidcompartment and back thereinto while said pump is in water drainingrelationship to said drain,

(h) said article drying machine comprising a structure enclosing arotatable tumbling drum having an access opening in one portion thereoffor loading articles thereinto from said article washing machine memberand an air opening in another portion thereof,

(i) means for recirculating heated air through said tumbling drumincluding a drying air blower, means connecting said drying air blowerto the access opening and the air opening of said tumbling drum in amanner to facilitate a flow of drying air therethrough, condenser meanshaving one portion in series drying air flow relationship with saidtumbling drum and said drying air blower for condensing moisture fromthe drying air circulated in heat exchange relationship therewith andanother portion in heat exchange relationship with the atmosphere forremoving the heat of condensation, and heating means in series dryingair ow relationship with said tumbling drum and said drying air blowerfor heating said recirculating air,

(j) and means forming'a sump portion in gravity flow relationship tosaid condenser means for receiving the moisture condensed from saidrecirculating air, and means connecting said sump portion to one of saidwater container or said article washing receptacle when said Washingmachine member is in said operating position for conveying moisturecondensed in said condenser means to said Washing machine member fordisposal therefrom by said pump when said pump is operating to pump saidwater to drain.

7. The `combination of claim 6 wherein said means for recirculatingheated air is above said tumbling drum whereby to place the accessopening of said tumbling drum inc'losely adjacent lrelationship to saidWashing machine member.

References Cited bythe Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS WALTER A.SCI-IEEL, Primary Examiner.

6. IN COMBINATION, (A) A UNITARY CABINET MEMBER INCLUDING WALLS DEFININGAN ARTICLE DRYING MACHINE WITH THE UPPER PORTION THEREOF AND ACOMPARTMENT THEREBELOW HAVING AN OPEN UPRIGHT SIDE, (B) SAID CABINETMEMBER ADAPTED TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH A SOURCE OF WATER SUPPLY AND ADRAIN, (C) AN ARTICLE WASHING MACHINE MEMBER DISPOSED IN SAIDCOMPARTMENT BENEATH SAID DRYING MACHINE AND MOVABLY ATTCHED RELATIVE TOSAID UNITARY CABINET MEMBER FOR SHIFTABLE MOVEMENT BETWEEN AN OPERATINGPOSITION IN SAID COMPARTMENT AND A LOADING POSITION OUTSIDE THECOMPARTMENT, (D) SAID WASHING MACHINE MEMBER COMPRISING A STRUCTURE ATLEAST PARTIALLY CLOSING THE OPEN UPRIGHT SIDE OF SAID COMPARTMENT ANDHAVING THEREIN A ROTATABLE OPEN TOP WATER RECEIVING ARTICLE WASHINGRECEPTACLE AND PRIME MOVER MEANS OPERABLE IN WHEN SAID WASHING MACHINEMEMBER IS IN SAID OPERATING POSITION FOR ROTATING SAID ARTICLE WASHINGRECEPTACLE, (E) SAID WASHING MACHINE MEMBER HAVING A WATER CONTAINERWATER RECEIVING RELATIONSHIP TO SAID ARTICLE WASHING RECEPTACLE FORRECEIVING WATER CENTRIFUGED FROM SAID ARTICLE WASHING RECEPTACLE WHENSAID RECEPTACLE IS ROTATED, (F) A PUMP OPERABLE WITH SAID PRIME MOVERMEANS IN WATER RECEIVING RELATIONSHIP TO SAID WATER CONTAINER AND INWATER DRAINING RELATIONSHIP TO SAID DRAIN FOR PUMPING SAID WATER TO SAIDDRAIN, (G) SAID WASHING MACHINE MEMBER BEING SHIFTABLE PART WAY OUT OFSAID COMPARTMENT AND BACK THEREINTO WHILE SAID PUMP IS IN WATER DRAININGRELATIONSHIP TO SAID DRAIN, (H) SAID ARTICLE DRYING MACHINE COMPRISING ASTRUCTURE ENCLOSING A ROTATABLE TUMBLING DRUM HAVING AN ACCESS OPENINGIN ONE PORTION THEREOF FOR LOADING ARTICLES THEREINTO FROM SAID ARTICLEWASHING MACHINE MEMBER AND AIR OPENING IN ANOTHER PORTION THEREOF, (I)MEANS FOR CIRCULATING HEATED AIR THROUGH SAID TUMBLING DRUM INCLUDING ADRYING AIR BLOWER, MEANS CONNECTING SAID DRYING AIR BLOWSER TO THEACCESS OPENING AND THE AIR OPENING OF SAID TUBLING DRUM IN A MANNER TOFACILITATE A FLOW OF DRYING AIR THERETHROUH, CONDENSER MEANS HAVING ONEPORTION IN SERIES DRYING AIR FLOW RELATIONSHIP WITH SAID TUMBLING DRUMAND SAID DRYING AIR BLOWER FOR CONDENSING MOISTURE FROM THE DRYING AIRCIRCULATED IN HEAT EXCHANGE RELATIONSHIP THEREWITH AND ANOTHER PORTIONIN HEAT EXCHANGE RELATIONSHIP WITH THE ATMOSPHERE FOR REMOVING THE HEATOF CONDENSATION, AND HEATING MEANS IN SERIES DRYING AIR FLOWRELATIONSHIP WITH SAID TUMBLING DRUM AND SAID DRYING AIR BLOWER FORHEATING SAID RECIRCULATING AIR, (J) AND MEANS FORMING A SUMP PORTION INGRAVITY FLOW RELATIONSHIP TO SAID CONDENSER MEANS FOR RECEIVING THEMOISTURE CONDENSED FROM SAID RECIRCULATING AIR, AND MEANS CONNECTINGSAID SUMP PORTION TO ONE OF SAID WATER CONTAINER OR SAID ARTICLE WASHINGRECEPTACLE WHEN SAID WASHING MACHINE MEMBER IS IN SAID OPERATIN POSITIONFOR CONVEYING MOISTURE CONDENSED IN SAID CONDENSER MEANS TO SAID WASHINGMACHINE MEMBER FOR DISPOSAL THEREFROM BY SAID PUMP WHEN SAID PUMP ISOPERATING TO PUMP SAID WATER TO DRAIN.